Live recording...USB interface

[RumorsOFsurF]

I'm looking for a cheap, yet somewhat accurate way to record my band's live shows with my laptop.  I just want rough recordings, for rehearsal and practice purposes.  (Actually, it's so I can show my drummer where he is F***ing up! ) .  I've looked at MF, but I don't know where to start.  One of my bandmates has lots of condenser mics and such, but he is no help with the recording aspect.  He just tells me it's not feasible when I mention it...I think he just doesn't want to deal with it! :-\

Any help would be appreciated.

[aen]

Tascam Us-122.  I've done whole records on it.  It seems to lose some of the high end, but if you have a mixer I think nudging the treble knob up a tiny biut would remedy that.  I think they'r eunder $100 right now...

[DouglasKuzmanoff]

I have an M-Audio Mobile Pre-USB  (http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MobilePre/),  I have the older model and have had it for about a year and a half.  Its great, i've never had a problem with it.  Its M-Audios answer to the tascam interface.

[HeartfeltDawn]

I've used a lot of M-Audio gear and never had any problems with them. Currently I've got a Delta 66 with the Omni front end and it runs great.

Never buy the Yamaha 01X. It's my candidate for the most frustrating piece of kit ever. I ended up sending it back. The driver installation and sync between the hardware and the PC is utterly awful.

[pullover]

Yamaha have a 12 input (6 mic ins) Mixer with USB outs for only 299 or a 10 input (4 mic ins) Mixer for only 199. Both have Phantom power. Comes with Cubase LE. You can run from the monitor line out on your bands PA into one of the stereo tracks for all the vocals/other shit thats mic'd.
12 input
10 input
If you want cheaper than that, you can buy a y-cable, and run from your PA line out into your computers Line in and record with Krystal Audio Engine. It's free! Or just get any cheap mixer that can handle all the inputs you need and run into your computers line in.
http://www.kreatives.org/kristal/

[HeartfeltDawn]

Kristal looks interesting. I've recently dumped Cubase and moved over to Reaper. It's so much nicer than Cubase.

[sookwinder]

I now run samplitrude  (given my 9 year old audio recording PC dies 4 weeks back), but I have down loaded Kristal for my nephew to use.

Certainly Kristal doesn't have all the niceties of an expensive DAW but for what it is, IT IS POWERFUL and with a half decent sound card and record some mighty stuff... and after a couple of hours playing arounbd with it (without using the help menu) I was able to run it and work out most of the major functions.

and now my 9 year old nephew is an expert of kristal and loves it...

[fenderizer]

Yamaha have a 12 input (6 mic ins) Mixer with USB outs for only 299 or a 10 input (4 mic ins) Mixer

You could also consider a Phonic Helix Board (almost same features as the Yamaha mixers). Read some reviews where they're said to be quite good, especially the mic inputs.

http://www.phonic.com/en/reviews/news_r ... news_id=57

Greetings - the Fenderizer

[idiotbear]

I REALLY like my Art Tube USB preamp. I get as nice a sound from that, my Samson CO2 condenser and GarageBand as I ever did from a "professional" studio.